CAMDEN – To most people he's "the Clock Guy," even when he's behind the meat counter at French and Brawn. And Bob McGowan is actually OK with that handle. Since 1990, he has kept the clock in the Chestnut Street Baptist Church, just next to the Camden Village Green, on time and ticking. Now it's time to pass that legacy to his son, Joe.

There was no ceremony, no speeches and no fanfare. Bob simply gave him the keys and his blessing. That was how Bob got the job. It was a responsibility Joe McGowan wanted and felt proud to be taking over from his father.

McGowan estimates there have been maybe a dozen clock guys.

Bob said the only way one really knows is that every once in a while someone will write their name up there, by the clock. Bob said Bill Brawn had done it for 40 years before him.

"I knew him from the store and every once in a while he would head over to the clock,” said McGowan. “I said one time I'd like to see what goes on over there, so he took me over. At the time it had an electric motor, which was not good, but that's what they wanted. And I'm watched him go up those ladders at 75 years old."

McGowan told Brawn that if he ever got tired of the task to let him know, The job looked interesting.

“He said, ‘I'll meet you down here at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning and show you how it works,’ and by 9:15 I had the keys in my hand,” said McGowan.

That was in1990, 27 years ago.

What responsibilities come with the charge?

There is a monthly lubrication that needs to be done. Twice a year, the clock must be changed to and from Daylight Savings Time.

The clock must also be sped up or slowed down the clock in the winter because it is susceptible to the weather.

"In the summertime these will run great for eight months,” said McGowan. “There's hardly any adjustments needed. But when the seasons change and the weather starts to change different things come into play. If it gets two minutes fast or slow you come up and change it.”

How do you make the clock run faster or slower?

By raising and lowering the pendulum.

“If you lengthen the pendulum it slows it down,” he said.  “If you shorten it, it speeds it up. There's another adjustment to move the hands, but the speed determines accuracy.”

The steeple’s first clock was installed in 1868, after the Civil War. It had a bell.

Now, the church again has a new steeple, erected last spring.

"It's brand new and even better then the original steeple" McGowan said. "This clock has been in since 1920 and it's been rebuilt so it's essentially brand new. It's the best shape it's ever been in."

But any resistance will stop it.

"The dial can plug up on the east side from a northeast storm, because the wind is bringing in wet snow. I will come up here and try to heat it from the inside and try to free it. You let the sun melt the dial; there is nothing you can do."

Once the sun frees the dial, it's a simple matter of resetting, which can be done with a dial on the clock.

"I've been up there and tried to manually synchronize the dials," Bob said. "You can only get it so perfect or else you go batty trying to get it totally on and that's never going to happen, getting all four set exactly the same at once. People should understand that."

Bob said there was an immense amount of work done to the dial room of the clock.

"It's not your imagination when you look up and say that looks cool," he said. "There used to be just a light in the center to illuminate the dials. Now each dial is encircled with LED lights."
Bob said the town had been extremely supportive of the clock tower. Most of the money raised was through private donations. He said most towns have a clock and most are not working.

The clock is integral to the history of Camden and is a source of pride for the community. McGowan couldn't feel better about passing on the legacy to his son, Joe.

Joe McGowan, who works at Viking Lumber in Warren, lives in Searsmont, but says that will not deter the duties of clock keeper. 

"I drive a delivery truck ," he said "I'm constantly driving through town back and forth and I always look at the clock. It's a nice way to keep my eye on the clock."

"It couldn't be a better time for him to be taking over," said Bob. "Everything is brand new and in perfect working order. Joe has always been a totally dependable person all his life in everything he's done. I couldn't feel better about handing over the keys to him."

"It's a huge honor,” said Joe. “It's a responsibility to the community and to the family. Hopefully it's something I can look forward to handing down to my son one day."

Joe's son Willard is almost one and a half and it's not his first time up in the tower. He's showing interest, said Joe, and he's comfortable up there.

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